The precision of the strikes suggests deep intelligence penetration.
By Hezy Laing
In the opening hour of the Roaring Lion operation on Iran yesterday, Israel again executed a decapitation strategy designed to paralyze Iran’s command and control.
This mirrored Israel’s previous Am Kelavi operation, in June 2025, when it focused on the immediate elimination of both military commanders and high-ranking Iranian political figures.
Among the officials killed are Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.
In addition to the heads of state, other senior figures were also targeted, including Iranian Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh, Iranian Chief of Staff Abdulrahim Mousawi, and Military Intelligence Chief Salah Asadi.
According to Israeli estimates, IRGC commander Mohammad Fokhapour, who took office after June 2025’s Operation Rising Lion, was also killed in the Israeli strikes.
The precision of the strikes suggested deep intelligence penetration, with targets being hit in supposedly “secure” bunkers and moving convoys.
Security analysts note that this second leadership elimination is even more impressive than the first, in that this time the Iranian leadership was aware of the likelihood they would be targeted and took extraordinary measures to prevent it from re-occurring.
Yet still they failed.
According to Reuters, Israel and the USA reportedly waited several weeks until the leadership gathered to meet in Khamenei’s bunker to begin the attack, which was carried out by the IAF.
